Now is the time for spring. Over the winter, we experienced lots of snowfall, and the wind and the snowplows contributed to ever-increasing piles of snow. At some points in the winter, the snowdrifts become so tall they seem to hide the snowmen in the front yard! Once you fall in one, it is almost impossible to dig yourself out. Or you may make the mistake of driving into one, only to find out they are difficult (if not impossible) to drive out of.

Snowdrifts are things that we might anticipate in our lives, but hope that they never come. The snow begins to hedge us in, and if we fall into one, we feel helpless. We may ask ourselves how we even got into the snowdrift in the first place. If we are in our car, someone may need to come and tow us out.

We find in adoption that there are things we never anticipated, both in our own lives and in those of our adopted children. Sometimes, they seem to come out of nowhere. All of the sudden, we feel engulfed. But at the bottom of it all, it is white powdery snow that just doesn’t want to go anywhere. These snowdrifts may be of our own making, but more often seem to be created by events and affairs out of our control.

What do we do when we encounter these situations? First, realize that we may be in seemingly difficult situations because we are pushing ourselves too hard. We do not recognize our own need for rest. Instead, we insist on pushing ourselves to our limit. Whether this is FOMO (fear of missing out) or YOLO (you only live once), we need to recognize the need for margin in our lives and in the lives of our children.

Second, we need to admit we are stuck and need help. This means calling a trusted friend or family member who will come help us out. God did not intend for us to live the Christian life as solos, but rather in community with other believers. Just one look at the verses in the New Testament that refer to “one another” highlights this point. Another person can see our situation more clearly and suggest specific action steps to assist us.

In addition, our family and/or friends will hopefully also pray with us. Prayer to God should always precede our actions, but too often we find that we are so busy spinning our wheels that we forget to pray to God for His help. Part of our cultural thinking is that we feel we have to “lift ourselves up by our own bootstraps,” but by doing so we forfeit the peace of mind that comes from submitting ourselves and our situation to God.

Finally, we often find we need to take a step of faith to get out of the snowdrift that we are in. Our counselors can guide us in this by suggesting specific steps of action, but we need to exercise the faith to move. Once we decide to act in faith and trust God, He will make a way for us to be freed.

What have you done when you have found yourself in the snowdrifts of life? Please feel free to share your experiences in the comment box below.